Hey, Claudi Skies here! I'm new to FanFic, so what you are about to read is my first Dramione story EVER. I absolutely adore the Draco/Hermione pairing, and after reading a handful of awesome Dramione fics, I have been inspired to put my own love for them into words. I have a couple of random side notes in parentheses throughout the story, but hopefully they're more entertaining than annoying haha. :) So without further ado...please enjoy!

"I love you."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't. Now go away before I hex you."

"Go ahead and hex me then because I'm not going anywhere until I've finally gotten this implanted in that warped brain of yours—"

"My brain is not warped! I'm perfectly lucid, thank you very much!"

"—I do love you! I can't believe the brain of 'The Brightest Witch of Our Age' can't comprehend such an easy statement! What will it take for you to accept this fact?"

"There is nothing to accept because it isn't a fact!"

"Hermione Jean Granger, you listen to me—!"

"No, Draco Lucius Malfoy, you listen to me! You do not love me! It's impossible!"

"This isn't impossible—you're impossible! How many bloody times have we had this argument? Why won't you believe me?"

"Because I can't! I'm nothing like those girls, and I can't ever be like them! I'm an annoying know-it-all bookworm! I'm all brains and no looks! And on top of all that, I'm a filthy little mud—!"

"Don't you ever call yourself that! I don't give a damn about blood purity anymore—no one has since the Dark Lord's demise! Anyone who still does can go rot in hell for all I care. I was an annoying and arrogant prick back then, and I deserve to be called names, but you don't! I don't want you to be like those girls because they only had looks but no brains! And even their looks aren't anything compared to yours—you're beautiful, Hermione! I love you—and only you! How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

"Stop it, Draco! How many times do I have to repeat myself? Don't say such things about yourself! You've changed for the better, and I've long forgiven you for the name-calling and all the unfortunate events of the past—it's all so trivial now! But, I can't say the same for myself. I'm still the same girl I was back in Hogwarts!"

"And what in Salazar's name is wrong with that?"

"Godric, Draco! You know the reason! I just—I just don't think that I deserve you!"

"And that's where you're wrong! I'm the one who doesn't deserve you, but you don't see me giving up! Woman, you are infuriating!"

Draco Malfoy turned away from Hermione Granger's tear-stained face, even though he wanted more than anything to take her into his arms. Silence engulfed the large office as Hermione sniffed and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand. She looked at Draco's back and opened her mouth to apologize when he suddenly whispered.

"Do you…do you not love me?"

His voice broke, and Hermione saw that he was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. She wanted more than anything to take his shaking form into her arms.

And so she did. (We all know who the one wearing the pants in this relationship is. Just kidding.)

She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her cheek against his back. "Of course I love you. I will always love you, Draco. You mean everything to me, and I can't give you up." She felt his hands reach up to grip hers, and she tightened her hold around his waist.

"Then don't." His voice was soft and yet commanding at the same time. Only Draco Malfoy could manage such a feat. "I won't ever give up on you, Hermione. It's about time you realized that."

"I'm sorry for acting this way...I just…I just still can't believe that you chose me out of all people…" Hermione trailed off and buried her face into his expensive suit.

Draco abruptly turned around to face her, his eyes stormy gray and his face livid with various emotions. Hermione's hands dropped to her sides as Draco's hands came up to cup her cheeks. By doing so, he forced her to look at him. Hermione detected love, anger, hurt, and sorrow all in one look. It amazed her to see so much emotion on a face, especially the face that belonged to the one and only Draco Malfoy, former Prince of Slytherin and all-time King of Aloofness. Her analyzing skills were still impeccable, but what she didn't know was that Draco only allowed his emotions to freely show in front of Hermione—her and her alone. He was even a bit careful about what to show on his face while with his friends (all former members of the Slytherin House, of course…even after three years post-Hogwarts days, the Gryffindors, excluding one, were still bloody annoying, the Ravenclaws were still bloody nutty, and the Hufflepuffs were still bloody Hufflepuffs).

"I chose you because I love you. I bloody love you, Hermione Granger!" Draco shouted with a hint of desperation laced in his voice. "If you love me as I love you, then please realize it already! I want to—need to—spend the rest of my life with you!" His piercing gaze never left her face.

A fresh wave of tears enveloped Hermione, and she threw her arms around his neck, all the while vigorously nodding and openly sobbing into his chest. "I love you, I love you, I love you so much…" She murmured in between sobs.

Draco tightly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "As I love you." He felt his eyes prickle and before he could stop it, a single and rare tear escaped his left eye and cascaded down his cheek. He didn't bother to wipe it.

Hermione slightly pulled back and gave him a watery but no less dazzling smile—the one that never ceased to take his breath away—before she unexpectedly pushed herself up on her toes and gently pressed her lips against his. Draco always found the fact that she had to stand on her tip-toes to kiss him endearing, but being the gallant gentleman that he was, he leaned down so that she could settle back on the soles of her feet. After a few minutes of non-stop lip-lock, Draco chose to pull away before the two twenty-one-year-olds let their hormones seize control, although he wouldn't have if they had been in a private and secluded place—like the Manor, and more specifically, his room.

He gave her his trademark smirk—the one that she had grown to love—as he looked down at her beautiful face. He ran a hand through her silky and curly locks that fell to the middle of her back. (He was the one who had eventually taught her how to tame her wild hair…of course he was the only one who would know all about hair…he's got perfectly maintained hair, for crying out loud!).

"My answer is yes." Hermione giggled as she wiggled the fingers of her left hand in front of his face.

"Finally!" Draco gave her a quick peck on the lips before he elegantly got down onto one knee and pulled out a green expensive-looking box containing the Malfoy ring. He began to open the box, teasing her with exaggerated slowness.

Hermione huffed in feigned impatience and withdrew her outstretched hand, placing it onto her hip. "You're taking too long, Mr. Malfoy. I don't think I'll get married to you after all. You know that I want my husband to have a perfect sense of time. Like I do." Her smile was almost smug as she arched an eyebrow that challenged him to say his best comeback.

Draco gave her the smirk. He found it amusing that Hermione Granger could go from being the epitome of purity and goodness to being a sly and cunning minx in a matter of seconds; he had told her on several occasions that she would have made a great Slytherin with her brains and skills. "You've become quite cocky, Ms. Granger. Perhaps I've been rubbing off on you—you know that all Malfoys are as cocky as they are superior. You would have been a great addition to the family…well that's too bad." He stood and made to put the velvet box back into the pocket of his trousers when it was snatched from him in a blink of an eye.

Another thing he found amusing about Hermione Granger was her surprisingly fast reflexes. He constantly told her what a great Seeker she could have been, if she were not so afraid of flying. He admitted that it also would have been funny to see Saint Potter be stripped of his position by a girl and his best friend no less. Hermione always scolded him for insulting Harry, but she did it while trying to suppress a smile.

At the moment, Hermione was standing with her mouth hanging open as she stared at the Malfoy family heirloom nestled in the folds of velvet. Draco chuckled. "Close your mouth, Granger. You look unbecoming. If you're going to become a Malfoy, you'd better start acting like one. Salazar forbid a Malfoy to ever look the way you do right now."

"Shut up, Malfoy. I only care about what Godric thinks, remember?" Hermione snapped and shot him a Malfoy-worthy glare. Oh yes, she had potential, Draco decided while smiling to himself.

"Ah, how could I forget? How very Gryffindor of you, love. But again, when you're a Malfoy, you'd best not let Father and Mother hear you going on about 'Godric' this and 'Godric' that."

"Well, it's not like they have a problem with my saying 'Godric' every once in a while."

"Only because Mother absolutely adores you. It's almost disconcerting, to be honest."

"You're just jealous because she likes me more. But don't worry, dear; you'll always rightfully be 'Mama's boy.'" Hermione smirked.

Draco scowled and grabbed the box from her with lightning speed, as he was the one with the trained Seeker reflexes. The extravagant Malfoy ring was a gold band intricately engraved with words of eternal love and promise and furnished with a large emerald stone on top. Narcissa Malfoy had surreptitiously passed this family treasure to Draco over afternoon tea a few weeks ago when Hermione was busy marveling at the wide variety of fruits, scones, tarts, and cakes displayed upon the grand dining table. (Draco's favorite fruit just happened to be the exotic dragon fruit. Go figure.) All the Malfoy women of older generations had been married with this ring on, and Draco was not about to break this tradition.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, and she mentally urged Draco to hurry the hell up and slide the ring onto her finger. However, he was either purposely ignoring her obvious agitation or just pretending to be painfully oblivious; he was taking his time scrutinizing the ring as if he had never seen it before.

Hermione glared at him and released an exasperated sigh. "Draco, why are you still keeping me waiting?" She waved her left hand in front of his face.

Still staring at the ring, Draco gave a small smirk. "Tell me how much you want it, Hermione."

She just knew that he was enjoying teasing her like this. Well, two could play the game.

Hermione took a deep breath before closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms and a leg around him, internally jumping in glee when she felt him tense. She was not usually one to initiate suggestive advances in a public facility, so she was a bit nervous while Draco was clearly stunned. Resting her chin on his chest, she peered up at him and inwardly grimaced as she batted her eyelashes like a flirtatious school girl. "I want it very much, Draco."

His eyebrows shot up, and he stared at her as if she had grown another head. He licked his lips before saying, "Hermione…you're not seriously trying to seduce me right now, right?"

Hermione widened her brown eyes in mock surprise. "Whatever are you talking about, dear? I just told you that I want it." Her fingers slowly glided down his spine, and Draco involuntarily shivered. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and fought for self control. Something told him that she was grinning triumphantly at him, and his suspicion was confirmed when he opened his eyes.

She was good, but he was determined to be better.

Hermione's grin waned when she saw the change in Draco's eyes; they were dark with lust and want, and she nearly drowned in the intense emotions pooling in the gray depths. She heard the sound of a lid snapping shut and was only vaguely aware of Draco slipping the box back into his pocket. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she knew what was going to come next. Draco placed his hands on her hips and gently traced circles with his thumbs as he leaned down to breathe hotly in her ear.

"Your double entendres have always turned me on, babe." His right hand trailed down to her thigh, and he wrapped her left leg around his waist before moving both hands to support her butt. Hermione was now completely off of the floor, and she was relieved that she had picked a loose skirt today; this would not have been possible if she were wearing a pencil skirt.

"But," Draco murmured in his low and seductive voice as he placed lingering kisses along the sides of her jaw, "the fact that you're trying to seduce me in broad daylight while we're at work is an even greater turn on. You've become such a naughty girl, Hermione Granger."

Hermione released a shaky breath she was not aware of even holding. The effects he had on her were intoxicating—she could never get enough, but she always felt as if she would spontaneously combust at any second in his arms. Her hands found their way into his soft flaxen hair, as they had many times before, and she squirmed against him to let him know what she wanted.

He was just too damn good.

Draco's lips hovered a few millimeters over her own. He smirked knowingly. "Giving in already, Granger? You're usually inclined to be up to the challenge."

"Just kiss me already, you damn ferret." Hermione all but growled.

Draco gave a triumphant grin that quickly morphed into a sly smile. He smacked her bottom (a little too hard for her taste) and that action made her jolt, bringing her parted lips into contact with his. With her eyes narrowed in concentration, Hermione immediately and ruthlessly shoved her tongue into his slightly open mouth, and Draco's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she ran her tongue along the roof of his mouth.

She may have given in, but she was not giving up.

"Always the daring Gryffindor…attacking me like this." He groaned into her mouth.

He felt her shrug. "I'm a Gryffindor to the bone. Too daring for you?" Hermione breathed.

"Never." Draco turned the tables with a sudden thrust of his tongue, moving the battle to the inside of her mouth.

Hermione sighed appreciatively and fought against his skillful tongue for a few moments before grudgingly pulling away, unclasping her legs around him. She smiled at his confused and crestfallen face. "We're still at work, Draco." It was a reminder more to herself than to him.

"Just wait until we get home. You're going to be thoroughly punished tonight, baby." He promised as his hands lifted the hem of her blouse, lightly brushing the exposed skin.

What Draco Malfoy said, went.

Hermione shivered, and she could feel a blush make its way across her already flushed cheeks. How he managed to make dark seduction strangely alluring was a mystery to even her, Hermione Granger, the walking and talking encyclopedia of everything. She shook her head to rid herself of the sudden onslaught of images of she and Draco tangled in the most inappropriate of ways upon her office desk plaguing her mind. The two of them had been close to making those images reality once, and Hermione was determined to not let her desires take over again while at work.

She cleared her throat and reluctantly stepped away from him. "About that ring…" Hermione looked at his pocket pointedly.

He drew out the box once again and gingerly took the ring out from its place of rest. The emerald shimmered under the bright office lights, and Hermione began to tremble as Draco slid the ring onto the middle finger of her left hand—the exact finger she had used to flip him off back in their school days.

How things have changed!

"Draco, it's beautiful!" She sighed as she brought her hand close to her face.

He smirked that smirk again. "I know, love. Like me."

Hermione laughed and slapped his arm playfully. She abruptly stopped laughing as a thought occurred to her. Gazing up at him with a calculating expression, she toyed with the ring on her finger.

Draco arched an eyebrow at her. "I know that look, Hermione. What are you thinking about now?"

"Well…I'm just wondering why you chose to propose to me in the middle of the day and while we're at work. Couldn't you have picked a more romantic time and place?" Hermione quirked a brow back at him.

"Hermione, I hope that you've noticed that this is my third time trying to get you to marry me. The first time I tried proposing to you, we were having dinner at a fancy and expensive restaurant, which I found quite romantic, but we ended up having the 'I-love-you-no-you-don't' argument. We made up as usual, but when I brought up the topic of marriage again a couple days later as we were having breakfast at your place, you immediately started the 'I-love-you-no-you-don't' argument! We made up once again, but I wasn't sure how I would approach this 'sensitive subject' a third time—who knew that proposing would be so difficult! But then again, you're Hermione Granger—nothing is easy with Hermione Granger." Draco laughed.

Hermione wanted to retort back, as it was her nature to do so, but her curiosity overshadowed all other thoughts. "Well, go on!" She urged.

"After much pondering, I finally decided that I would propose during midday and while we were at work, because proposing in the morning and at night didn't work." Draco finished his explanation. "Woman, I hope you're happy; I worked my arse off because of you."

Hermione grinned and pulled him close by his green silk tie. "I'm very happy, Draco. Thank you." She gave him a light kiss. "And you know how the saying goes—third time's the charm!"

"Thank Salazar for that." Draco rolled his eyes. "My patience was at its max."

Hermione's grin widened. "Well, it was well worth the wait, right dear?"

"Of course, love. Anything for you." Draco sighed in defeat and leaned down to kiss her.

"Man, he's so whipped!" A loud voice came from the other side of the closed door. This outburst was followed by a series of furious shushes and relentless slaps.

Draco and Hermione exchanged knowing glances as they opened her office door. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini tumbled into the room, landing on top of one another in a giant heap of bodies. The two lovers looked at their friends, one in good humor and the other in wry amusement. The Gryffindors and Slytherins still did not get along, but they were trying to be civil to each other for the sake of the couple. It was a wonder how all of them ended up working together at the Ministry.

"Get your bloody arse off of me!"

"Move your bloody foot, Potter!"

"I bloody can't! Watch it, Zabini!"

"Sod off, Potter. Blame the She-Weasel for being bloody heavy!"

"Stop bloody touching my sister, you good-for-nothing Slytherin!"

"I'm not bloody trying to, Weasel! Salazar forbid a Slytherin to set eyes on a Gryffindor!"

"Oh wait…it's already bloody happened! You just screwed us over, Nott!"

"Merlin! If anyone says bloody one more time…"

"Hermione, what do we do with disobedient children?" Draco asked nonchalantly while running a hand through his blond locks. He smirked at the pile that was made up of their friends.

"Uh oh…they're going into Head-Boy-and-Head-Girl mode! We're screwed!" Ron whispered into Harry's ear, but as he was Ron, everyone heard him. Anxious glances were exchanged.

Hermione's smirk mirrored his. "Well, it depends on how disobedient they are, Draco. Since we're no longer at Hogwarts, points and detentions won't work."

Draco pretended to think about an alternative even though he already knew exactly what he had in mind. "We could always just make them clean the Manor…only Merlin knows how many cobwebs there are."

"I hate cleaning!" Pansy groaned.

"But cleaning is for girls!" Ron exclaimed.

"Hey!" Hermione, Ginny, and Pansy shouted defensively in unison.

"And did you say cobwebs?" Ron audibly gulped. "You know how much I hate spiders!"

"Just drop it, Ron. We're going to be even more screwed if you don't stop." Harry sighed.

"Potter's right for once." Theodore grumbled. "At least we're not doing their laundry the Muggle way this time."

All six "disobedient children" shuddered as they relived that bad memory. Some of the clothing Hermione owned should be illegal—the guys nearly got bloody noses just from a glance, and Pansy was almost impressed with her collection. As for Draco, he owned way too many clothes. And they were all expensive, which meant that some had to be hand-washed and others had to be carefully sorted into different piles based on material (all of the finest, of course). To make matters worse, only Harry had actually known how to do the laundry the Muggle way, thanks to his many years of experience with the Dursleys. Thus, Harry had given the orders and after a prolonged verbal dispute, the Slytherins grudgingly did what he told them to do just so he would shut up and they would be rid of him. The entire process of sorting, washing, drying, and folding had taken the six of them an entire Saturday afternoon. Needless to say, they had all been cursing the sadistic couple for putting them through such torture afterward. Of course, this laundry idea had been Hermione's, and Draco had thought it was bloody brilliant.

"You're brilliant, Draco." Hermione smiled proudly at him. "Cleaning the Manor is perfect, especially since it'll be where we hold the engagement party."

No one was surprised to hear that the two were now engaged. Everyone, including Draco, had waited long enough for Hermione to finally say yes. There was also the fact that they had all heard the entire proposal by eavesdropping, but that was beside the point.

Draco wrapped an arm around her waist, and she leaned into him. "I know, love. We're both bloody brilliant."

"Whipped." Blaise coughed. Five other people in the office silently agreed.

"I think they need another punishment." Hermione mused.

"Of course, love. Anything for you." Draco grinned wickedly.

I hope that was as entertaining for you to read as it was for me to write! Please review! I have yet to experience the thrill of receiving reviews...hint hint. ;) Thanks for reading! Does anyone want a sequel? haha ~Claudi Skies